There are few games who utilize soccer and the love of the game as an art form and do it as well as Despelote. Published by Panic Games, Despelote is a love letter to the sport from Ecuadorian game developer Julian Cordero. The game’s two hour play time is packed with a mesmerizing and dreamlike art style, charming game sequences, uncanny relatability, and an emotional grip that never lets go. If you love the sport and have an undying passion for it, Cordero matches it with the love and labor that went into this game. I recommend a completely blind playthrough to allow yourself to feel all of it at a first glance.
Soccer has intertwined itself throughout much of gaming history. Today, the most popular franchise around the sport is EAFC (formerly known as FIFA). The series had a long time history and preceding reputation of being the best simulation soccer game on the market. For many, myself included, this title was an entry into not just the world of soccer but also to gaming as a whole. Pro Evolution Soccer, now eFootball, was a worthy competitor until it lost much of its licensing deals (and thus ‘authenticity’) to EA. Football Manager has had a strong case for being the better overall experience, but it never quite reached the height of the FIFA games and even recently had to cancel its latest installment.
In Despelote, you won’t be arranging tactics, dealing with international roster spots, or packing legends of the game via casino game mechanics. It is a visual novel that takes you through the nostalgia-tinted-lenses of the creator. You play as a younger, slightly idealized, version of the developer, Julian, as he retells what life was like in Quito, Ecuador during the lead-up to the 2002 World Cup.
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The game as a visual novel can be off-putting for some, but it’s price point of $14.99 makes for an accessible entry into its world (on sale for $11.99 as of the writing of this review).
And what a world it is. Not only is it a welcome escape from the mindless grind of Ultimate Team, it’s also a breath of fresh air from the modern game as we know it today. As the governing body of the sport continues to go full speed towards sportswashing and capital-maxxing, Despelote is a time machine into the soccer world before the increased hyperinflation, advanced analytics, and exorbitant transfer fees. It helps that the lens we are looking through is one of childlike wonder and nostalgia, and thus a much more fond experience, but it’s a more humble look at the game and the passion it cultivates within a nation, a community, and within the young football fanatic.
Beyond the role of soccer as the narrative frame for the story, the game has interwoven details and themes about youth, culture, and nostalgia. During this time, Ecuador is going through political and economic turmoil, but seeing as how you’re experiencing the game through the eyes of a young boy, it’s all less important than the black-and-white pentagon spotted ball. Still, the inhabitants of the city discuss what’s going on in conjunction with the qualifying narrative of the story. As Ecuador closes in on a World Cup berth, the excitement is palpable throughout the city and the various people in Julian’s life talk about it and lament between hopeful optimism and the following pessimism of poor results. The games visuals serve as the larger point and theme for nostalgia. The sepia tone fuzz of the game is reminiscent of one’s hazy recollection of events from childhood. Like Julian, you may not likely remember every little detail about your childhood home, but you’ll remember the smaller details like your most cherished toy or game console, an inspiring soccer poster, or the smaller moments which sparked your football fandom. These trinkets of Julian’s memory are in ball-like black and white which contrasts well with the rest of the sepia fuzz.
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It’s not often I feel seen in an art form but this one went beyond just being seen. This was an honest, holistic, and healing experience that reminded me why I fell in love in the first place. Soccer for me is my first and forever love and sometimes you need a game to turn you into an emotional wreck to remind you. You owe it to yourself as a footy fan to give this a playthrough. It’s the only soccer game on the market with pure intent, a beautiful style, and a mirror held up right to your soccer soul.
